Wildfires spread near Bordeaux and Madrid as mass evacuations continue
Firefighters in France and Spain battle expanding wildfires near Bordeaux and Madrid, with displacement figures estimated between 140,000 and 250,000 people.
Emergency responders in France and Spain continue to battle expanding wildfires driven by strong winds near Bordeaux and Madrid.
In France's Gironde department, seven towns west of Bordeaux were ordered to evacuate, with the French government dispatching 500 additional military personnel to assist firefighting efforts. In Spain, three blazes merged west of Madrid under a declared national emergency. Regional President Isabel Díaz Ayuso called the fire the worst in the area's history.
Reporting varies on the exact scale of displacement. Total estimates range between 140,000 and over 250,000 people. Outlets report over 200,000 evacuated in France and between 19,000 and 63,000 in Spain's capital region.
Sources: BBC News, Die Zeit, DW, Point
Sources
- BBC News — Firefighters struggle to contain Madrid wildfires, as more than 140,000 evacuated in France and Spain
- Die Zeit — Waldbrände: Mehr als 19.000 Menschen in Spanien müssen ihre Häuser verlassen
- Point — Площадь пожаров во Франции и Испании растет: эвакуированы уже свыше 250 тысяч человек
- DW — Massenflucht: Brände in Frankreich und Spanien wüten weiter
Earlier coverage
- Sep 4, 2026, 05:00 AM UTCFirefighters battle spreading wildfires in Germany and France amid extreme heat
- Sep 4, 2026, 04:30 AM UTCEuropean emergency services struggle against expanding wildfires in Germany and France
- Sep 2, 2026, 04:30 AM UTCFirefighters battle persistent wildfires across Germany, Belgium and France
- Sep 1, 2026, 04:30 PM UTCWildfires persist across Germany and France as firefighters battle steep terrain and flare-ups
- Aug 31, 2026, 04:30 AM UTCFirefighters battle persistent wildfires across Germany and France
- Aug 30, 2026, 10:30 AM UTCFirefighters battle expanding Black Forest blaze while containing regional fires
- Aug 29, 2026, 10:30 AM UTCFirefighters battle expanding wildfires across Germany, Belgium, and France
- Aug 29, 2026, 04:30 AM UTCFirefighters battle expanding Black Forest blaze as containment improves elsewhere
- Aug 28, 2026, 04:30 PM UTCFirefighters battle expanding European wildfires amid high heat
- Aug 28, 2026, 10:30 AM UTCFirefighters battle persistent European wildfires in steep terrain